Skye: The First Adventure
by Bonnie Skysong
Summary: A young teen named Skye is taken from our world into the realm of Tortall...will she ever be able to come back? A "teens-get-sucked-into-Tortall" story with a bit of a different twist.
1. Skye

Skye sighed as she walked through the doors on her first day of high school.  She glanced wistfully at the older students as they laughed and chatted while they calmly stood around waiting for the first bell.  Envious, Skye stuck a hand in her pocket and fumbled around for her crinkled schedule.  By the time she finally figured out what room she needed to go to, the first bell rang, sending a pang of nervousness through her.  Taking a deep breath to collect herself, she started off down the maze of hallways.

She felt lucky when she slid into her seat just as the tardy bell rang and watched with smug satisfaction as several students came hurrying through the door, late to class.  Finding her way around wasn't going to be as hard as she had thought, she realized happily.  Her math teacher was just as dull as those that had come before her, however, and Skye was more than happy to jump up and race through the door after being lectured for an hour and a half on class procedures. She was busy trying not to get lost on the way to her next class when a hand grabbed her shoulder and a familiar voice said, "Hey Skye! What's up?"

She turned to find Rachel, her old babysitter.  "Wow, you have grown!" Rachel said with a grin.  Skye shrugged and returned the smile. "Well, maybe a little." Suddenly the warning bell rang and she quickly looked back at her schedule, a growing feeling of panic welling up inside her.  She distantly heard Rachel ask where she was headed, and glanced up at her longtime friend. "I'm not lost, if that's what you're asking," she said defensively.

"Okay, well I'll catch you later, then," Rachel said, hiding a smile.  She turned and started off to her class with a final wave and was soon lost in the crowd.  Skye sighed, knowing she couldn't possibly make it to class on time now.  She decided to head off in the direction Rachel had taken and managed to make it to class only a minute after the tardy bell.  As she stood nervously before the door, she noticed a sign which read "Mr. Trebond."  Pictures of mystical creatures lined the door frame and covered the walls.  Shaking her head at this strange first impression of her teacher, she walked into the room and quietly took a seat beside a girl she had know since 7th grade.

As Mr. Trebond began the required lecture over classroom procedures, Skye could tell right away that she would like this class.  The teacher had both a great sense of humor and also seemed to possess a great deal of knowledge - the ideal teacher, in her opinion.  She was so intent on listening to him that it wasn't until halfway through class that she noticed a boy across the room staring at her.  Annoyed, she turned to glare at him for disrupting her unusually enjoyable time in class. Instead of looking away when she turned to look at him, he simply smiled and winked at her, his eyes dancing.  Shooting him another glare, Skye turned back towards the teacher, who was writing something on the board.  She could still feel those eyes watching her.  _What does he want?_ she wondered.  At first she had been surprised to see he looked older than her, but she remembered that there were often older kids in freshman classes for various reasons.  She soon forgot about the boy, however, as they began their first lesson over short stories, and was dismayed when the bell rang for her to go to lunch.

The rest of the day passed without mishap, and Skye felt much better about high school once she got home.  She was reluctant to think about the amount of homework that loomed over the course of the next year, but she knew that if Rachel had done it, she could too.  That night before she went to sleep, as she was pondering whether or not to like her new school soccer coach, she remembered the boy from her English class.  She scowled and rolled over, pulling her covers tightly around her. _Why was he staring at me?_ she asked herself, a little unnerved as she remembered his steady gaze.  _Maybe I can ask for a seat on the other side of the room. _Satisfied with this solution, she closed her eyes and immediately drifted into a sound sleep.


	2. The Book

**BRRRIIIINNNNGG!**

Skye sat up, startled by the sound of her new alarm clock.  For a moment she sat there, dazed, the annoying buzz making her cringe.  Glancing over, she squinted at the bright red LCD display, barely making out a 6, a 3, and a 0.  Disgusted, she slammed the snooze button and fell back on her pillow.  She had never been a morning person, and being jarred out of a deep, enjoyable sleep always rendered her nearly unapproachable in the morning.  She sighed unhappily at the thought of getting up for school and stared up sleepily at her white ceiling fan as it turned…and turned…

"Skye!! Did you not set your alarm? Get up, you're going to be late!" 

"What? But I _did_ set…ohh."

Feeling guilty, Skye rolled out of bed with a groan and hurriedly pulled on some jean shorts and a t-shirt.  She threw her auburn hair up into an untidy bun and slipped her feet into some flip flops before running into the kitchen to down some Frosted Flakes and orange juice.  Within minutes she found herself outside, waiting dejectedly for the bus and wishing for the millionth time that she was old enough to drive.  Luckily the bus ride was relatively short, but she spent it staring gloomily out the window at the shopping centers and fast food restaurants that had taken over her hometown.  Suddenly she remembered that she needed to see Mr. Trebond about changing her seat in class, and decided that it would be best for her to go before school, just in case he was too busy before class later that afternoon.  As soon as the bus pulled up in front of the school, she made her way through the crowd and struck a path towards the English hall.  She took a moment to look once more at the mystical creatures lining the doorway before she pulled open the door and hesitantly stepped inside.

Mr. Trebond was sitting at his desk, busily writing something down.  He was an older man, Skye guessed him to be in his fifties, with patches of gray in his shaggy brown hair.  He didn't look up as she came in, and she stood before the door, waiting expectantly for him to acknowledge her.  After a minute she gave a polite cough and he looked up, startled.  

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize anyone had come in," he said, putting his pen down.  "You must excuse me, I get very caught up in my work.  So what is it I can do for you Miss…Skye, is it?"

"Yes," she replied, amazed he had remembered her name. "Um well, I was wondering if there is any way that I could switch my seat to a place over away from the air conditioner, I was pretty cold yesterday."

"Of course.  I'm not one for cold myself, as a matter of fact.  How about that third seat over by the window?" he asked, pointing. 

Relieved that he had bought her story, she grinned. "That's fine sir, thank you. See you in class later." 

She turned to go, but as she did a picture above his desk suddenly caught her eye.  It was a sketch of a winged creature with the body of a lion and the head of a hawk.  Curious, she took a step closer to see it better.  Mr. Trebond turned to see what she was looking at, then stared at her intently for a moment.

"That's a griffin," he said as she continued to gaze at it.  "Are you interested in fantastical creatures?"

She turned to him, a look of surprise on her face.  "Not particularly, although I have never seen anything like this," she admitted.  "Wouldn't it be great if creatures like this could be real?  It would make life so much more exciting."

Mr. Trebond chuckled.  "Oh, I supposed this world would be alright with a few griffins."  Suddenly his eyes seemed to stare past her and he sighed, his face growing serious.   "There are other creatures, though, that you would never want to wish upon our world."

"Don't worry, I'll just stick with griffins for now," Skye said quickly.  "What do they do, anyway?"

Mr. Trebond stopped staring off into the distance and looked at her once more. "No one can tell a lie around them.  If you open up your mouth to tell one, no sound comes out.  We could use a little more of that in this day and age, eh?" He smiled grimly and picked up his pen to begin writing once more.

"Yeah…I suppose," she said slowly, not sure whether this was a sign that he wanted her to leave.  After waiting a moment longer, she turned and started towards the door.

"Wait, Skye?" She turned.  He hesitated, then continued.  "If you could spare another moment, I think I have something you might enjoy."

"Oh okay, sure."  He got out of his chair and she followed him over to a bookcase filled with classics and famous fiction.  He searched a minute before pulling out a worn paperback from the top shelf which he held for a moment, affectionately wiping a light layer of dust off its cover.  Finally he handed it over to her, almost reluctantly, and stuck both hands in his pockets. "I think you'll have a good time reading that," he said, indicating the book she held.  "It's no classic, but it's good…real good."

Skye glanced at the cover, which had a picture of a young girl, bright red hair cropped short, who was holding the reins to a beautiful golden horse.  The title read "Alanna: The First Adventure."

"Hmm, I think I've heard of this before," she said after a moment.  "Well thanks, Mr. Trebond.  I'll start reading it right away, it looks interesting."  She had turned and opened the door when Mr. Trebond called her back once more.

"Skye, just one more thing…be careful."

She faltered a second before grinning, realizing he must have meant be careful with the book.  "I'll take good care of it, I promise."  With that the bell rang, and she slid the book carefully into her backpack before heading off to first period.

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Authors Note: I'm sorry this beginning hasn't been very exciting, but I promise it will get much better 


	3. Jason

Jason Gere shifted in his seat, wishing that he could burn the uncomfortable plastic chair that was to be his spot in English for the rest of the year.  He was a junior, seventeen years old with close-cropped brown hair and bright blue eyes.  At six feet he was about average height, tan, and well muscled from years of playing sports. 

He sighed, bored, as Mr. Trebond lectured about diction and syntax.  He had heard it all before – twice.  This was his second time to repeat freshman English, and over the past few years he had become known as just another dumb jock.  Behind his façade of glassy eyed stupidity, however, he watched the world with sharp eyes and an intelligent mind.  He had no clue what compelled him to put on such a show – maybe it was boredom, or maybe it was some work of fate.  He only knew that it gave him a feeling of superiority to fool so many people, so easily.    
            Suddenly he remembered the girl from yesterday and realized she had moved to a seat on the far side of the room.  Scowling, he cursed silently to himself.  _She wasn't supposed to do that,_ he thought angrily.  _Now it will just take me longer to figure out why she looks so dang familiar._  

On the first day of class, he had been struck by an unshakable feeling that he had seen Skye somewhere before when he had glimpsed her as he strode into class.  He had stared at her the whole period, racking his brain for any scrap of memory that would help him place just where he had seen her, but he couldn't.  That evening he had tried to forget about it, but it seemed to hang over his head like a storm cloud, giving him a feeling of urgency he did not understand.  Now he stared at her once again, frustrated that still nothing came to mind.

"Mr. Gere, could you give us an example of some of the diction used in the excerpt I just read?" Mr. Trebond asked casually, breaking through Jason's thoughts.  

"Dict…what? Sorry, I wasn't listening," he said, hearing snickers from some people in the back.  Mr. Trebond raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.  "How about Skye? Can you give us what this young man could not?" 

After answering correctly, Skye glanced uncertainly at Jason. Was he really as dumb as he seemed to be?  To her discomfort she found him staring at her again and looked away.  For some reason she couldn't bring herself to believe that he was stupid enough to fail Mr. Trebond's class twice.  The kid was hiding something, she was almost sure of it.  _I'll get to the bottom of this, even if it takes me all year,_ she decided as the bell rang for lunch.

~

Later that evening, as Skye was channel surfing her family's big screen T.V., she remembered the book Mr. Trebond had let her borrow.  Curiosity getting the better of her, she flicked off the television and went to her room, where she plopped down on her bed and reached down into her backpack for the book.  As she pulled it out, a wave of energy pulsed into her hands, down her arms, and throughout her body.  Stunned, she stared at the book for long moments until tingling in her nerves faded away.   Still not sure what to think, she did the only thing that came to mind and opened the book to its first page.  Before long she was so engrossed in its contents that she forgot about the strange incident when she had first picked it up.  Even as her eyes began to droop she kept reading, and she soon fell asleep with the book lying face down on her chest.  

Little did she know that this was going to be the longest night of her life.

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woohoo, a cliffhanger! Exciting :) Now the fun will really begin.


	4. The Adventure Begins

Okay, here comes everyone's favorite part…

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story that are present in Tamora Pierce's books, but anything that is _not _hers is mine, so no stealing! 

Now on to the story :)

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Skye awoke slowly to a pounding headache.  With a moan she rolled over, only to discover that every other muscle in her body ached as well.  She winced, managing to sit up as she pressed one hand against her throbbing head.

It took her a moment to realize that she was staring at grass and dirt.  Still dazed, she closed her eyes and shook her head to rid herself of the cobwebs before opening her eyes again.  Anticipating seeing the top of the comforter on her bed, she instead found that once more she was staring at the ground.  _Did I sleepwalk?_ she wondered, confused.  _I don't think I've ever walked in my sleep before…_

She looked around, now expecting to see her yard, and nearly choked as she realized that she was not sitting on her neatly trimmed lawn but in the middle of a meadow with dense forest visible along the edges.  _I have no clue where I am! _she thought, panicked.  She jumped to her feet but regretted it a second later as her muscles cried out in protest, making her gasp in pain.  Just then a groan came from behind a bush on her right.  Unsure what to do, Skye stayed where she was, keenly eyeing the bush.  Suddenly a face appeared over the top and she yelped in surprise when she saw who it was.  "What…what are _you_ doing here?" she cried, not sure whether to feel furious or relieved.

Jason was just as surprised to see Skye as she had been to see him.  "What am _I_ doing here? How about _you_?" he growled, not happy about being yelled at after he had just woken up.  "I, for one, certainly have no clue why I'm sitting in the middle of a field instead of sleeping in bed right now, which is what I _should_ be doing."

_Maybe this is one of my crazy dreams,_ Skye thought, mind reeling.  _That would account for all of this - although I don't know why _he_ would be involved. _ "Well, I don't think we're in Texas anymore, Toto" she said sarcastically, gently stretching her sore muscles. 

He snorted. "Very funny Dorothy."  Slowly, he made his way to his feet and hobbled over to where Skye stood, and together they surveyed their surroundings.  

The meadow was peaceful and lush, flowers of all colors waving gently in the light breeze.  Skye watched the as the sun began to peak over the treetops and guessed the time to be just past nine in the morning.  She could hear birds of all kinds within the forest, and the sound of insects filled the cool air with a reverberating hum.

"Well, what do you think we should do?" she asked Jason uncertainly.  This was definitely not something she had been through before.

He sighed and kicked a dandelion. "I suppose we should try to find the nearest town.  I would hate to be stuck out here at night, no matter how beautiful this place might be."  With that he turned southeast and began making his way through the tall grass.  Skye took a step to follow, then hesitated a moment, a thousand questions running through her head.  _What if this isn't a dream? What  about my parents? Is there some way we could still be found if we stay put? Are we missing school? Is Jason trustworthy?_

Jason's voice cut through her thoughts and she looked up, not sure what he had said. 

"Are you coming or not?" he called a second time, exasperated.  "If not, I'll just head off without you."

"What?" she cried indignantly as she caught up to where he was standing.  "That wouldn't be very gentlemanly of you."

He glared at her, then turned to continue walking, calling over his shoulder, "Maybe I'm no gentleman."

They walked in silence awhile as they entered the forest, occupied with avoiding roots and brush and always listening for the approach of someone…or something.  Skye was beginning to feel uneasy as she noticed the woods becoming darker, denser and quieter.

"Hey, uh, Jason?" A wave of fear washed over her and she stopped, her senses telling her not to go any further.

Jason turned and she saw a similar look of fear on his face. "I feel it too," he said quietly.  "I didn't want us to have to turn around, but I think we need to now.  There's something evil about this place, I -"

Just then a screech wrenched through the air, making the hair on the back of their necks stand on end.  They instinctively crouched behind a nearby bush, holding their breath.  Screeches and moans continued to fill the air, so human-sounding it made Skye shudder.  Suddenly the sound of men's voices reached them, calling back and forth with a tone of urgency.  After a few more moments the horrible noise stopped, and a trumpet sounded triumphantly through the forest.  The very air seemed to breath a sigh of relief.  

Skye collapsed onto the ground wearily, the wave of fear gone but still fresh in her mind.  Jason continued to peer over the bush, straining to catch a glimpse of the activity.  "Think we should go see who these people are? I doubt we will find anyone else around these parts – these men may be our only chance." He offered a hand to help her up.

"We might as well, although you get to do all the talking," Skye replied wryly, gratefully taking his hand and getting back to her feet.

"Fair enough. I owe it to you, anyway, for being so grouchy this morning," Jason admitted.  "I'm not a morning person, so don't take anything I said personally."

She stared at him, surprised.  "Oh, so you're telling me you actually are a somewhat decent human being?"

He grinned, white teeth flashing against his tan skin. "Well…most of the time."  He turned and she followed him as he made his way towards where the commotion had been only moments before, both hoping that these people, whoever they were, would be able to help them.  

Author's Note: Sorry I'm leaving you with another bit of a cliffhanger, but it's 1:30 AM and I'm leaving in five hours to go on vacation in Colorado over the next week, but I promise to update this story as soon as I get back.  In the meantime keep reviewing, I greatly appreciate your support!  Oh by the way, in the next installment we'll finally get to meet up with some of our favorite characters…yay hooray!


	5. Soldiers

Quick note: I've decided to have this take place soon after ROTG, so before Kel.  I'm only doing this because I'm not sure if I have read the POTS series enough to characterize Kel, Neal, and the others correctly…but please stay with me :)

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Skye and Jason quietly made their way through the brush until they came upon a small clearing, within which the members of a company of soldiers were busily going about various tasks, their horses picketed on the far side of the meadow.  It took an instant for the first soldiers to notice them, but after a few minutes the whole camp was staring at them, gawking.  Skye, unused to garnering so much attention, shifted her weight uneasily as she tried to resist the urge to flee. 

A tall, burly man stepped forward from among the soldiers.  He looked to be in his forties and had an air of command about him that was hard to miss.  Skye eyed him in admiration – he was quite the picture of gallantry, dressed from head to toe in gleaming mail with an unsheathed sword in one hand.  _Why are they dressed like this?_ she wondered, confused.  _This doesn't seem to be any sort of festival._

Raoul of Goldenlake eyed the teenagers in a similar fashion.  _Gods, they're dressed oddly,_ he thought, shaking his head in amusement.  _Where did they get such unusual garments?_

Finally he cleared his throat to speak.  "I am Lord Raoul of Goldenlake, Knight Commander of the King's Own. May I-" He paused as an obvious look of confusion came across their faces.  A stocky red-headed woman had come to stand beside him, and he nudged her. "You think they speak Common, Alanna?" he asked.  

She studied them a moment, fingering an ember that dangled around her neck.  "Doesn't look like it.  Mithros, I don't think I've seen anything like them before."

Jason and Skye remained where they were, confused.  "Are you understanding any of this?" Jason whispered out of the corner of his mouth. "I've never heard any language that sounded like _that_."

Skye wasn't paying attention, though.  Instead she was watching the lady knight, who was now approaching them.  There were many unusual things about the red head, from her sword and golden mail to the glowing ember at her throat.  What caught Skye's attention, however, were her piercing purple eyes.  Recognition, then disbelief, washed over her and she took a step backwards.  "_Alanna?_"

Alanna stopped, surprised at hearing her name.  Putting her hands on her hips, she looked at them suspiciously.  "You know my name?"  When all she got was blank stares, she sighed. "Well, wherever you're from, you must not be from here." 

"So…you can't understand us?" Skye asked, her hope withering away.  

Alanna didn't say anything but suddenly looked thoughtful.  Finally she held up her hand in a signal to wait and went back up to Raoul. "I don't recognize the dialect, but I think I've heard Myles speak a language similar to that," she said, still watching them with a wary eye.

Raoul shrugged. "Well, our job here is done. We can help you escort them to Olau, if you like."

She looked up, startled, before remembering that Myles and Eleni were visiting Olau for a few months to get away from hectic life at court.  She looked at him doubtfully.  "Well they don't seem vary capable of doing any harm...I don't know if they're worth our time." At a reproving glance from Raoul, however, she gave in. "All right, fine, we'll take them."

He grinned. "Good, I'll go tell them."

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An hour and several frustrating attempts at charades later, Jason and Skye found themselves on separate packhorses with only a vague idea of where they were going.  "At least they seem nice enough," Jason pointed out.  "I don't think they're going to have us chopped into dog meat or anything." 

Skye raised an eyebrow. "Dog meat?"

He laughed. "Well, you know what I mean. I think we're in good hands."  

They rode in silence awhile, watching the backs of the soldiers ahead of them.  The group had formed two columns, which allowed the two to ride side by side while guarded in both the front and the back.  The sun was beginning to sink low in the sky and Skye watched as the first few stars winked into view between the tree branches overhead, her thoughts bent on her family and home.  She still wasn't sure what to think of her adventure…it _felt_ real enough, even though she was sure she had to be sleeping.  _Especially after this,_ she realized, remembering Alanna.  _She's a character in a book...there's no way she could be real._

Almost as if reading her thoughts, Jason turned to her and asked quietly, "How did you know her name was Alanna?"

"Oh, Mr. Trebond gave me a book about her," Skye said, covering a yawn.  "Except it's about when she was really young.  I knew it was her, though."

Jason nodded, looking sleepily off into the distance. "Yeah, I was pretty sure-" Suddenly he stopped, looking embarrassed.

Skye stared at him a moment, a look of disbelief on her face. "_What_ did you just say?"  

He looked away and didn't answer.

"Do you mean to tell me that you know who Alanna is?"

"Mr. Trebond _made_ me read one of the books," he growled defensively, glaring at her.

Barely able to contain her amusement, Skye surrendered to a fit of giggles.  Jason turned away angrily and laid his head on his pony's neck, muttering to himself.  By the time Skye was done Jason was sound asleep, still awkwardly lying on the pony.  Skye remained awake for many more minutes, watching as the sky faded from the brilliant colors of sunset to one of the deepest night skies she had ever seen.  Before long, though, she felt her eyelids begin to droop.  _Dreams within a dream_, she thought, amused.  _When will this ever end?_


	6. The Capitol

Skye awoke the next morning to someone shaking her gently.  Still half asleep, she rolled over and stared blurry eyed at the big man she vaguely remembered meeting the day before.  He smiled and gave her a friendly pat on the head before moving on to wake up Jason, who was lying a few feet away from Skye.  

_Where did my horse go?_ she wondered suddenly, bewildered.  _And why am I in a bedroll?_  __

She sat up, now alert, and watched as the camp they were in slowly came to life.  Shadows that were soldiers of the Own moved about in the faint light of early morning, packing supplies and starting breakfast.  A slight chill in the morning air made Skye glad for the warmth of her bedroll, and she was pulling it tightly around her when she saw a figure with a sword off on the far edge of the camp.  A glimpse of red hair instantly told her it was Alanna, and Skye watched with interest as the woman went through several complex passes with her sword before sheathing it to begin practicing punches and kicks.  After finishing with a few extra minutes of kicks off her left side, Alanna came back into the camp and sat over by the fire.  Admiration, and a small bit of jealousy, bubbled up inside Skye.  

"She's good, huh?" Skye quickly turned to look at Jason, who was lying back with his hands behind his head, gazing up at the morning sky with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Don't worry, I'm not mad at you anymore," he said, noticing her glance.  "For now, at least."

"Well that's good," Skye said, grinning.  "I wasn't sure what I was going to do if I wasn't on speaking terms with the one person here who understands me." She paused a moment before adding, "I'm sorry if I offended you last night…but you have to admit, it was pretty funny."

He scowled and sat up with a groan, stretching.  "Alright, sure, it was funny.  But no more, okay? Deal?"

"Deal," Skye confirmed, nodding.  Just then Alanna walked up with bowls of oatmeal and the teens accepted them gratefully.  She gave them a small smile before heading back to get some breakfast of her own. 

"Mmm, drish es _goood_!" Skye exclaimed, her mouth full.  She hadn't realized how hungry she was amidst yesterday's excitement, but now that she thought of it, she realized that she had barely eaten since dinner two days before.  The soldiers had given her some bread right before the group had mounted up, but that hardly counted.

After breakfast a young soldier came over to show them how to stow their bedrolls on the packhorses, and before they knew it they were riding again.  The day passed slowly and became warm as the sun shone brightly overhead, making everyone thankful for the cover of the forest foliage.  Just as Skye was beginning to wonder if they would ever come out of the woods, the procession finally made their way out of the last of the trees.  

Blinking in the bright sunlight, Skye looked with interest at their surroundings.  From their vantage point atop a hill, a rolling green valley spread out before them, dotted here and there with clumps of trees and brush.  She glimpsed something traveling along a wide road off in the distance and squinted at it, trying to discern what it was.  Just then the column stopped, and as she leaned sideways to see around the soldier in front of her, she gasped.  A few miles distant a walled city was visible, gleaming beautifully in the noon sun.  It was the palace in the background that caught Skye's attention, however.  _Tortall_, she thought numbly, gaping.  _We're in Tortall... _

Even seeing Alanna had not brought on such a startling feeling of reality.  Skye looked helplessly over at Jason.  

"I think we both know where we are now," he said, smiling grimly as he stared at the city.  "Although I wouldn't believe it if I weren't standing where I am right now."

Skye took a moment to pinch herself, hard.  _Time to wake up,_ she thought desperately.  _Time to slam my alarm clock and get dressed. Go to school.  Be normal._

But nothing happened.  The pain was all too real, and the drop of blood on her arm far too warm and lifelike.  She barely noticed as they began to move again, her pony obediently following the horse ahead of it.  The large man fell back soon after to begin another round of charades with Jason, but Skye paid little attention as she lost herself in deep thought.  Tortall, of all places!  The land of knights and kings, immortals and mages…the land of heroes and villains, quests and adventure.  Certainly a place she had never dreamed of being a part of.

Jason's voice brought her out of her reverie as he sighed and said, "Well Skye, I think he was trying to tell me that we still have about another day's ride.  I guess that means we won't be entering the city, then."

Skye glanced at the palace.  "I have a feeling this won't be the last we see of this city, though," she said quietly as they turned away from Tortall's capital and onto the road she had seen earlier.  "And I'm beginning think we have quite an adventure ahead of us."

Jason laughed. "Well it's about time! My life has never been _this_ exciting before…I say bring it on!"

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Authors Note:  Thanks to all for the encouraging reviews! If it weren't for you, I would have no incentive to keep writing :) You're awesome!


	7. Hope

Author's Note: I'm back! Finally.  And no I didn't forget about the story, and I haven't _really_ been lazy…these past few weeks have just been crazy, and I've barely had time to sit down, let alone write my next chapter.  I'm very, very sorry, and I hope I can be a little more regular with the chapters now that my life has calmed down a little :) Enjoy!

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Skye shivered as another crash of thunder sounded overhead.  Even the cloak that one of the men had given her couldn't repel the steady rain that had begun to fall on her second night with the rider group.  It was now afternoon on the next day, but the darkness of the clouds overhead had turned the world into a dark canvas of blues and grays.  At the moment, however, her mind was on other things.  

Standing behind the young man who had showed them how to stow their bedrolls on the packhorses, she nervously shifted her weight from side to side and looked up at the huge front door that stood before her.  Jason, who was standing on her left, gave a low whistle.  "What a house!" he whispered, gazing at it admiringly.  

Skye scowled at him before pulling her cloak more tightly around her and returning her gaze to the door.  This "house" looked more like a castle in her opinion…she was sure she could have fit at least three two story houses into this one with room to spare.  She also felt nervous about the men who stood around them, clothed in hooded robes and visibly armed.  In the light from the lightning, she had seen tan, fierce faces beneath the shadow of their hoods.

Alanna knocked, but the sound was masked by another peal of thunder.  Skye's breath caught in her throat as the door slowly began to creep open, and watched as a man peeped his head around the door.  He squinted through the rain a moment, his face thrown into shadow, before suddenly throwing the door open with a happy yell and running to pull Alanna into a tight hug.  Skye widened her eyes in surprise – this was nothing like she had expected.  

As he pulled away from Alanna, Skye saw that the man was short and plump, friendly green-brown eyes staring intelligently as he looked around at rest of the group.  His long hair and beard were mostly gray, though the few hairs with color left in them said his hair was once dark brown.

After a moment the man began to usher them inside, and it was all Skye and Jason could do to keep from getting trampled by the young riders behind them who were eager to get out of the rain.  They looked about them in awe as they were lead through a long hallway lined with portraits and various furniture that looked to be in no particular state of order.   Skye couldn't help but grin as she and the others continued to follow the strange little man, who was still conversing with Alanna.  In her opinion, his house suited him perfectly. 

Soon they were led into a room warmed by a roaring fire, and Skye gratefully shed her damp cloak, hooking it over her arm as she looked around.  This room was much different from the hallway in that it had been arranged and skillfully decorated.  Puzzled, Skye suddenly noticed a woman rise from a chair near the fire, a warm smile on her face.  She was tall with twinkling hazel eyes, her chestnut hair streaked with white.  She greeted everyone formally in the strange Tortallan language before laying her eyes questioningly upon Skye and Jason. 

This began a series of outbursts of excitement from the rider group, and it took everything Alanna and her friends had to calm them down so that the story of the two outsiders could be told coherently to their hosts.  After a few minutes, Skye and Jason managed to escape the crowd and found seats near the fire, both feeling a little left out.  

"I'm tired of not understanding," Jason sighed, frustrated.  Skye smiled grimly and nodded, staring sleepily into the orange blaze.  They sat in front of the fire for many minutes before a chuckle sounded just behind Skye, making both teens jump.  She turned quickly to find the short man who had led them inside standing just behind her chair.  He stared thoughtfully at them for a moment, and Skye realized that the whole rider group was staring at them as well.  "So…lost, are we?" the man asked, a mischievous grin on his face.  

Skye started to reply when she realized she had actually understood what he had said.  "I…we…did I just understand you?" she asked, mouth agape.  Jason was staring wide-eyed at the man, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.  "How…how do you know English?" he asked, intrigued.  

The man sighed.  "That story is for another time, and I'm sure we will have plenty of time to tell it.  But for now, what are your names?  You can call me Myles, by the way."  

Jason and Skye looked at each other, recognition overwhelming them.  "_Myles?_" 

He chuckled once more, obviously pleased.  "Oh, so you've heard of me?" A faraway look came into his eyes for a moment, and Skye was sure she heard him mutter, "I _knew_ she could do it."  The moment didn't last long, however, and soon his attention came back to them.  "You still haven't told me your names."

"I'm Skye, and this is Jason," she said, suddenly feeling shy.

Myles nodded approvingly.  "Well, we have a lot to talk about you two, but that must wait until after you are properly fed.  How would you like some dinner?" 

Jason grinned.  "I'm all for it…how 'bout you, Skye?"  Skye still had so many questions she wanted to ask the man, but she supposed those could wait, just as he had said.  She smiled reluctantly.  "I _am_ pretty hugry…lets eat!"


	8. Answers

Later that night, after Skye and Jason had gorged themselves on good food, they were shown up to their rooms with the promise that Myles would be up to talk to them soon. Their rooms had been placed across the hall from each other, and once Jason was finished inspecting his own he crossed the hall to wait for Myles with Skye.

"Hey," he said shyly when she opened the door. For a moment they stood in silence, and Jason shifted his feet nervously. "Myles hasn't shown up yet, has he?" he finally blurted out, feeling stupid.

"No...he should be here soon though..." Skye said, staring uncertainly up at Jason. "Come on in, we should go ahead and figure out what we need to ask him so that we don't forget anything when the time comes."

Jason smiled in relief. "Alright, sounds good."

For the next hour they went through all the possible questions they could ask him, especially the ones that might lead to a clue as how they had gotten into Tortall. They were still eagerly discussing the possibilities when a knock sounded and a harried-looking Myles strode into the room.

"Sorry it took me so long, I had forgotten how..." He stopped and made a face. "Now what's the word for...oh yes! Demanding! I had forgotten how demanding it is to house a whole regiment."

Skye and Jason stared at him curiously for a moment before he realized why. "I haven't spoken your language in years," he explained, taking a seat in a chair by the window. "I do my best to stay fresh in all tounges, but it can be hard."

"And how many is 'all'?" Jason asked, unable to resist.

Myles grinned sheepishly. "Approximately eleven."

Jason's eyes widened in surprise. "Eleven?! Holy sh-"

Skye jabbed him in the ribs before he could finish. "Watch your mouth!" she commanded, glaring at him.

He stared at her in disbelief. "Did you not hear what he just said?"

She sighed. "Of course I heard. Still, your comment was unneeded."

Myles chuckled. "So, young ones...where should we begin?"

"How do you know English? And why are we here?" Skye began quickly. "We should have time enough for the story now, I would hope."

"I was afraid that would be one of your first questions," Myles said, shaking his head. He leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling, gathering his thoughts. "You have to realize that I haven't told this story to anyone...anyone. Not even Alanna, or Eleni, my wife – I don't think they would ever understand. But you two, you just might." He took in a ragged breath and gripped the arms of his chair nervously.

He's a mess, Skye thought in amazement. A complete mess.

Suddenly Myles shook his head and let out a weak laugh. "I hate when the gods do this! I'm married and settled down now, for Mithros' sake. But I suppose even that isn't enough to keep the gods from meddling..." He smiled dejectedly. "I'm sorry, I must sound like a lunatic. I just thought my part was played out."

"You don't have to tell us this now," Skye put in, unsettled by his behavior. "We can wait. As you said, we'll have plenty of time to hear it."

Myles just shook his head. "I appreciate it, but I must tell you now. It's already begun. The wheels of fate take their own path."

Skye and Jason exchanged apprehensive glances.

Oblivious, Myles continued. "Gods, this is complicated. I guess I should just start from the beginning. You see, this all began many years ago when a powerful mage named Ivan Mynar was visiting in Carthak. He was different from any other mage, however, in that he had a remarkably strong Sight that enabled him to see past the boundaries of the world his friends and fellow mages claimed to know. For years he insisted that a sort of parallel universe existed in conjunction with the known realms, but no one ever took him seriously. Frustrated, he rashly decided to pull someone from this separate universe into his own as proof. Several years later he successfully transferred someone into Tortall..."

"Others have been brought here too?" Jason interrupted. "Where are they now? How did..." Skye gave him a gentle kick and ignored his over-dramatic sigh.

"This story has been a long time in the making," Myles said quietly, unfazed by the interruption. "The first people brought here are long gone by now. But where was I? Oh yes, Mynar. With the success of his so-called experiment, he enjoyed instant celebrity. It wasn't long, though, before strange people began to appear at irregular intervals – at anywhere from the space of a few months to a decade. No one doubted where they were from, but Mynar had long since promised to never bring anyone back. In the end, evidence suggested a sort of side effect, or echo, resulting from Mynar's original experiment. I won't go into detail, but our mages never figured out how to stop it, and some years ago I came across a victim of this "echo", which has come to be called the Mynar Pull."

He paused, suddenly overcome with sadness. "She was an amazing woman. She spent years here at Olau under my care, teaching me your language and telling me of your realm in return for a place to stay where she could remain unnoticed. She also kept the house in working order during my days of teaching at the palace. The ironic thing is that she knew the one language you speak...what if you had come from China? Or Ger-...Germany, is it? I recall her mentioning the great magnitude of difference between the languages of your world. I don't know why, but for some reason the gods made sure you were thrown into this mess with someone who understands you."

Jason and Skye sat in silence for a moment, dumbfounded. "Is she still here? Have any of these people been sent back?" Skye finally asked, fearing the worst.

"Yes, our most powerful mages have been taught how to deal with it. Numair knows best of all. And she...well, she didn't want to go back, but I made her in the end. I knew from the moment I found Tammy on Tortallan soil that her future did not lie here, just as mine does not lie in your world. It wasn't easy to make that decision, though."

Jason looked up. "Tammy?"

"That was her name," Myles said with a nod, eyes still distant. "Good old Tammy."

Skye frowned. "I still don't understand...why were Jason and I brought together? We weren't anywhere near each other - all we did was read Mr. Trebond's books."

Myles leaned back in his chair, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Well, to make a long story short, Tammy wrote several books about the people here before she left. She had every intention of sharing her stories with others when she went back to your world, even if it would only be seen as fantasy. By that time Numair had discovered a way to focus the energy of the Pull, and when he heard about Tammy's plans he placed a spell on several of her books. Now only the people who read those books are ever affected by the Mynar Pull, and they can be chosen carefully."

"Why let anyone read them at all? And why choose us?" Jason pressed, eyes blazing. "Are you saying Mr. Trebond sent us here on purpose?"

For the first time that night, Myles grinned. "Maybe."

Skye was still sitting quietly, her mouth slightly open. "You're friends with Tamora Pierce?" she squeaked.

Suddenly Jason and Myles burst into laughter, and Skye soon joined in. She still had questions, but she had the feeling that Myles had given them enough for the night. Before long, everyone submitted to a fit of yawns and decided to delay their discussion until the morning.

After Jason and Myles left, Skye sat by her window for several hours, listening to the wind outside and watching as the moon rose over the distant treetops. She knew in her heart there were decisions she would need to make soon that would change her life, and Jason's life, forever. Neither of them had known it would be such an easy task to send them back, and now that she was here she wasn't sure if she really wanted to leave yet.

Just as she was beginning to think she wouldn't get any sleep, a calming voice entered her mind. "Whatever lies ahead will come in its own time. For now, little one, get your sleep." A cool hand touched her forehead, and for a moment she was startled by the immense purity and gentleness in its touch. Then she fell thankfully into a deep, untroubled sleep, and the world faded into blackness.

Author's Note: A little hard to believe, yes, but bear with me. Pretty much every other base has been covered in regards to this type of story ;)


End file.
